Manchester City sits 6 points behind Arsenal in the Premier League. They are one of the biggest obstacles to the title, but they face a very tough challenge on Sunday visiting Liverpool. For that match there are doubts around Erling Haaland’s status, and Pep Guardiola wasn’t clear.
Haaland has not been in great form recently compared with his career numbers. Only one goal in his last seven matches raises questions about his starting spot, and he also faces competition from Omar Marmoush, who scored twice in the Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle United.
Guardiola praised the Norwegian before remaining noncommittal about him. The manager said in the press conference on Friday: “Haaland is the best striker in the world. I don’t know if he’ll play on Sunday, just that he’s the best striker in the world.”
Guardiola on the other injuries
There are many doubts about the lineup Manchester City can present at Anfield. Beyond the form question around Haaland, injuries limit the manager’s options. The main absence may be Bernardo Silva, with Rúben Dias and John Stones also affected by physical issues.
Guardiola wasn’t clear about Haaland before Liverpool match (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Guardiola explained in a press conference: “Bernardo isn’t ready yet, but tomorrow we will see in training. Dias is back; we’ll see if he plays for a few minutes. It’s good news. Stones trained with the team for the first time yesterday; he’s slowly coming back.”
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Guardiola about his emphatic celebration in the Carabao Cup
Every competition should be important for players and coaches. But when someone reaches Guardiola’s status with 39 titles as a manager, a certain level of normalization can be expected for a smaller trophy like the Carabao Cup. Still, reaching the final was very important for him.
He explained his celebration: “As I get older, I have the feeling it’s harder to reach a final each time. The final is on March 22; until then I have the chance to enjoy the fact that we are playing in a final because it’s very hard. To get to finals and win titles nowadays you must sweat. Those are the moments for which we are in this industry.”
